The invention relates to an improvement of a clip that is used for attaching an object to an object receiving attachment with one touch, wherein the clip is fixed around an insertion part of the object being attached and is inserted into an attachment hole opened in the object receiving attachment to be coupled to the attachment hole.
There is a clip having a pair of clamping plates 300 that receives and holds therebetween a receiving plate part 102 of an insertion part 101 formed in an object 100 being attached, and coupling arms 301 formed outside this pair of the clamping plates 300 and coupled with an attachment hole 201 formed in an object receiving attachment 200 pursuant to insertion of the insertion part 101 into the attachment hole 201 (FIG. 16 through FIG. 18).
The pair of clamping plates 300 and the coupling arms 301 in such a clip are constituted so as to be capable of elastic deformation. Also, the receiving plate part 102 is disposed between the inner surfaces of the pair of clamping plates 300 while elastically bending the clamping plates 300 outwardly by inserting the receiving plate part 102 between such pair of the clamping plates 300. In the state in which the clamping plates 300 are fixed around the receiving plate part 102 in this manner, the clamp plates 300 and the receiving plate part 102 are inserted into the attachment hole 201, so that after the coupling arms 301 are once bent inwardly, the coupling arms 301 returns at the far ends to cause the coupling arms 301 to be coupled to the hole edge parts on the far end of insertion, whereby the object 100 being attached is attached to the object receiving attachment 200 with one touch.
Also, in such a clip, the receiving plate part 102 abuts against the clamping plates 300 so as to once cause the pair of clamping plates 300 to be bent outward pursuant to the receiving of the receiving plate 102 on the mutually facing surfaces of the pair of the clamping plates 300, and receives projections 302 in a coupling hole 109 formed in the receiving plate part 102 at a specified position by the elasticity of the bent out clamping plates 300. When the side of the object 100 being attached is pulled so as to pull the insertion part 101 of the object 100 out from the attachment hole 201, from the state in which the coupling arms 301 are coupled to the attachment hole 201, it is pulled out from the attachment hole 201 in the condition of being fixed around the insertion part 101 without the clip being left on the side of the attachment hole 201, such that problems are not caused such as in re-attaching of the object 100.
However, in such clip of the past, because the receiving plate part 102 is made so as to fix around the inner surfaces of the pair of clamping plates 300, in cases such as there is unevenness, and the like, on the plate surface of such receiving plate part 102, there are many cases that the inner surfaces can not always be properly pressed against the plate surfaces in all locations across the direction of insertion of such receiving plate part 102, and further improvement has been desired in order to make the state of fixing of the clip to such receiving plate part 102 higher.
Also, such clip of the past necessarily requires the opening of a coupling hole 109 on the side of the receiving plate part 102 such that the clip does not remain in the attachment hole 201 when removing the object 100 being attached, which was once attached to the object receiving attachment 200, from the object receiving attachment 200.
Therefore, the main object of this invention is to provide a clip that can cause clamping force to act properly on the receiving plate part, which constitutes the insertion part provided on the object being attached, in all locations across the direction of insertion of the insertion part even when there is unevenness, and the like, on the plate surfaces of the receiving plate part, and can assuredly be pulled out from the attachment hole in the object receiving attachment together with the insertion part during removal of the object being attached, in which the insertion part is pulled out from the attachment hole, even without applying special processing to the side of the insertion part.
In order to solve such problems, in the first aspect of the invention, the clip comprises: a pair of clamping plates that receive between themselves a receiving plate part, which is a constituent of an insertion part of an object being attached and is inserted into an attachment hole opened in an object receiving attachment, while elastically expanding outward, to be fixed around the receiving plate part; and coupling arms provided on the outside of this pair of clamping plates. The coupling arms are coupled into the attachment hole by elasticity at a final position of insertion into the attachment hole after once having been elastically bent inward pursuant to insertion of the insertion part of the object being attached into the attachment hole of the object receiving attachment. A plurality of teeth, the tips of which are pressed to the received receiving plate part, is respectively provided on the mutually facing sides of the pair of clamping plates so as to form a multiple stage pattern across the direction of insertion into the attachment hole.
By such constitution, by inserting the receiving plate part between the pair of clamping plates, the receiving plate part can be clamped by the clamping plates, while the pair of clamping plates elastically expand outward, such that the plurality of teeth provided on the pair of clamping plates are respectively pressed against the plate surfaces of the receiving plate part being inserted, and the clip can be fixed to the receiving plate part by this clamping.
Also, because such plurality of teeth is provided so as to form a multiple stage pattern across the direction of insertion of the insertion part into the attachment hole, that is, in the direction of entry of the receiving plate, the teeth can be pressed against the receiving plate part by the springing or elastic force of the clamping plates in a plurality of locations across the direction of entry of the receiving plate part from both surface sides of the receiving plate part. Thus, the state of fixing of the receiving plate part between such pair of clamping plates can be maintained with stability.
Also, because the springing force of the clamping plates acts on the receiving plate part at points with the tips of the plurality of teeth, the receiving plate part can be properly fixed around the pair of clamping plates even when there is some unevenness on the plate surfaces of such receiving plate part.
Also, by attaching the clip to the insertion part of the object being attached by inserting the receiving plate part between the clamping plates in this manner and then inserting this insertion part into the attachment hole of the object receiving attachment, the coupling arms can be coupled to the hole edge part of the attachment hole by elasticity at the final position of insertion of this insertion part into the attachment hole after once elastically bending inward. Thus, the object being attached can be attached to the object receiving attachment via the clip with one touch.
Also, in the second aspect of the invention, the teeth provided on the clamping plates, which are a constituent of the clip described in the first aspect, have elasticity.
By such constitution, the elastic force of such teeth can be made to further act on the receiving plate part which was inserted between the pair of clamping plates, and the state of fixing between the receiving plate part and the clip can be further improved.
Also, in the invention described in the third aspect, it is made such that the pair of clamping plates having received the receiving plate part, which is a constituent of the insertion part in the clip described in the first aspect, is pressed at free end parts from outside by the coupling arms which are pressed against the hole edge part of the attachment hole and are bent inward when force in the direction of pulling out the insertion part from the attachment hole of the object receiving attachment is applied.
By such constitution, when the object being attached and the object receiving attachment which once were attached together via the clip are separated by pulling the object being attached with a force great enough to pull out the insertion part from the attachment hole, the expansion of the pair of clamping plates can be checked or prevented by the coupling arm. Thus, the clip can be pulled out from the attachment hole together with the insertion part in a state being fixed to the receiving plate part which is a constituent of the insertion part without being left on the side of the object receiving attachment, that is, in the attachment hole, and problems are not caused such as in re-attaching the object being attached to the object receiving attachment.
Also, in the fourth aspect of the invention, in the clip of the first aspect, the clip is further constituted such that free end parts of the pair of clamping plates having received the receiving plate part which is a constituent of the insertion part is positioned between a pair of checking walls that is provided on a protruding base part of the insertion part of the object being attached such that expanding outward is prevented by abutment when a force in the direction of pulling out the insertion part from the attachment hole of the object receiving attachment is applied.
By such constitution, when the object being attached and the object receiving attachment which once were attached together via the clip are separated by pulling the object being attached with a force great enough to pull out the insertion part from the attachment hole, the expansion of the pair of clamping plates, which receive forces bending outward by the receiving plate part and try to move in the direction of this pulling out, can be prevented by pressing the free ends of the clamping plates to the checking walls. Thus, it can be made such that such clip is pulled out from the attachment hole together with the insertion part in a state being fixed to the receiving plate part which is a constituent of the insertion part without being left on the side of the object receiving attachment, that is, in the attachment hole.
Also, in the fifth aspect of invention, the clip described in the first to fourth aspects further comprises a coupling part that is coupled to a coupled part provided on the insertion part pursuant to receiving of the receiving plate part which is a constituent of the insertion part of the object being attached between the pair of clamping plates.
By such constitution, when the object being attached and object receiving attachment which once were attached together via the clip are separated by pulling the side of the object being attached with a force great enough to pull out the insertion part from the attachment hole, by the coupling of the coupling part provided on the side of the clip and the coupled part provided on the insertion part, it can be made such that such clip is pulled out from the attachment hole together with the insertion part in a state being fixed to the receiving plate part which is a constituent of the insertion part without being left on the side of the object receiving attachment, that is, in the attachment hole.
Also, in the sixth aspect of the invention, the coupling part in the clip described in the fifth aspect is made as hooks that forces the pair of clamping plates to expand outward by abutting against bumps that serve as the coupled part formed on the receiving plate part pursuant to receiving of the receiving plate part. The hooks are coupled to the bump by riding past the bumps due to the expanding of this pair of clamping plates and returning on the clamping plates at the position rode past.
By such constitution, when the object being attached and the object receiving attachment which once were attached together via the clip are separated by pulling the side of the object being attached with a force great enough to pull out the insertion part from the attachment hole, by the coupling of the hooks which constitute the coupling part provided on the side of the clip and the bumps provided on the side of the insertion part, it can be made such that such clip is pulled out from the attachment hole together with the insertion part in a state being fixed to the receiving plate part which is a constituent of the insertion part without being left on the side of the object receiving attachment, that is, in the attachment hole.
Also, in the seventh aspect of the invention, the coupling part in the clip described in the fifth aspect is made as hooks that once force the pair of clamping plates to expand outward by abutting against side surfaces of the receiving plate part pursuant to receiving of the receiving plate part, and are coupled by entering into a hole that serves as the coupled part which is formed on the receiving plate part due to springing back of the pair of clamping plates.
By such constitution, when the object being attached and the object receiving attachment which once were attached together via the clip are separated by pulling the side of the object being attached with a force great enough to pull out the insertion part from the attachment hole, by the coupling of the hooks which constitute the coupling part provided on the side of the clip and the hole provided on the side of the insertion part, it can be made such that such clip is pulled out from the attachment hole together with the insertion part in a state being fixed to the receiving plate part which is a constituent of the insertion part without being left on the side of the object receiving attachment, that is, in the attachment hole.
Also, in the eighth aspect of the invention, the coupling part in the clip described in the fifth aspect is made as elastic bumps that are elastically deformed once abutting against bumps that serve as the coupled-part, which are formed on a pair of side walls that is formed on the insertion part of the object being attached so as to sandwich the receiving plate part in between, pursuant to receiving of the receiving plate part between the pair of clamping plates, and ride past the bumps and are coupled to the bumps by elasticity at the positions rode past.
By such constitution, when the object being attached and the object receiving attachment which once were attached together via the clip are separated by pulling the side of the object being attached with a force great enough to pull out the insertion part from the attachment hole, by the coupling of the elastic bumps provided on the sides of the clip and the bumps provided on the sides of the insertion part, it can be made such that such clip is pulled out from the attachment hole together with the insertion part in a state being fixed to the receiving plate part which is a constituent of the insertion part without being left on the side of the object receiving attachment, that is, in the attachment hole.